BERKELEY, Calif. – No. 12 Stanford closed out the regular season with a 3-2 loss to rival No. 13 Cal on Saturday in the Big Spike.
"I'm happy about our team's response to being down 0-2, with Cat and Kate getting us back in the hunt for the dual with a hard fought win at the three," said head coach Andrew Fuller.
The Cardinal moves to 16-11 on the season with today's result. The team's 16 wins are the most in program history, surpassing the 2017 mark in which Stanford won 13 matches.
Stanford faced Cal for the second time in less than a week when the teams locked horns on Saturday.
The Golden Bears took the first two points of the duals behind wins at the four and five flights. Stanford retaliated at the three, where Catherine Raquel and Kate Formico forced a third set after dropping their first set, 21-19. The duo earned Stanford's first dual point with a 15-9 third set win.
Cal went on to clinch the match at the No. 1 flight, taking the match over Morgan Hentz and Amelia Smith in straight sets.
Stanford's No. 2 pairing of Courtney Bowen and Sunny Villapando continued its form, winning its match for Stanford's second point. The pairing turned in another straight-sets performance, winning 21-18, 21-11. The duo's match win marked its sixth straight as a pair.
"This will make us hungry in training this week in preparation for Pac-12s, and the whole team is looking forward to hosting a great event," Fuller added.
Full Results
No. 13 Cal 3, No. 12 Stanford 2
1. Jessica Gaffney/Mima Mirkovic (CAL) def. Amelia Smith/Morgan Hentz (STAN), 22-20, 21-16
2. Sunny Villapando/Courtney Bowen (STAN) def. Iya Lindahl/Alexia Inman (CAL), 21-18, 21-11
3. Catherine Raquel/Kate Formico (STAN) def. Bryce Bark/Madison Dueck (CAL), 19-21, 21-17, 15-9
4. Caroline Schafer/Mia Merino (CAL) def. Payton Chang/Caitlin Keefe (STAN), 21-16, 21-16
5. Grace Campbell/Maddie Micheletti (CAL) def. Shannon Richardson/Blake Sharp (STAN), 19-21, 21-13, 15-9
PAC-12 CHAMPIONSHIP ON THE FARM
Stanford Beach Volleyball Stadium will be the site of the Pac-12 Beach Volleyball Championship, as the Cardinal will host the second-ever conference tournament from April 26-28. Admission is free for all fans.